Dear YWN. I am a proud parent at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in Flatbush. They sent out this incredible letter which I feel should be widely disseminated. I want to reiterate that I was in no way asked to send this to YWN. I simply feel that other Yeshivas are simply doing a terrible thing by closing earlier and earlier each year.
I have many friends that are tearing their hair out as their children are finished school and they are roaming the streets. Parents have work and are unable to take off to watch their children.
One Yeshiva in Flatbush decided to send out an email last Friday, June 14th, while the boys were in Yeshiva informing the parents that Yeshiva is ending – that very day. Where is the Achrayis? What kind of Chinuch is this?
This is an outrage and a Chutzpah and something needs to be done.
Below is the letter from Torah Vodaath and followed by a letter from another Yeshiva.
Dear Parents,
As we come to the end of another successful school year we thank you for allowing us to be the shluchim to be mechanech your children in the true mesorah and wish you continued nachas and hatzlacha through the summer and on.
The summer comes with its own set of challenges when raising children, and we need extra siyata d’shmaya and shmira to make sure that the chinuch imbued in them throughout the year remains “tahor” at every step, every day.
With that in mind, the Yeshiva scheduled the last day to take place on Monday June 24th. Yes, there are numerous Bais Yaakovs and other Chedorim (much to our chagrin) that have made their last day on Thursday, June 20th and we question that! Why, when camps and day camps are beginning after July 1st, are Chedorim and Bais Yaakovs closing so early? Why are our children allowed to be more “hefker” and have little structure for over ten days? To us, as responsible mechanchim, consulting with our Roshei Hayeshiva, we felt strongly that it was wrong and therefore elected to keep the school year until the last week in June, as has been the tradition for many years.
With many of the households in our school consisting of both parents working, it became even more apparent that this was the right decision, in order to minimize leaving children unsupervised properly for longer than necessary.
Working together, with siyata d’shmaya and a lot of tefilla we will be zoche to continue to bring up our children in the proper derech so that they may be a credit to all of us and give nachas to our families and the Ribono shel Olam.
Best wishes for a pleasant summer,
Name withheld upon request
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26 Responses
Firstly kudos to Torah Vodaas!
Secondly, you can’t fault the other Yeshiva for closing early if the circumstances were really beyond their control. Although if they can’t can their act together on a constant basis maybe it is time to consider sending your child elsewhere.
Who decided that 10 days is too many, but 5 days is not?
I don’t know what the story is with the school that ended June 14, but it was clearly not a normal occurrence, and has nothing to do with the general issue of ending school early.
This is a crime. The chadorim in Boro Park are ending next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Several Rabbeim have summer jobs (particularly at camps). Camp staff are usually expected to be on site several days to one week before the start of camp for children. If we have gotten to the point where after an entire year of yeshiva for a child, we can’t trust or believe that he/she will behave accordingly like a ben/bas Torah for a couple of weeks, then perhaps we should consider some responsibility of failure on the yeshiva system. Life is 120 years long, most of those years are not spent in the classroom; I’d hope and anticipate that one acts and lives accordingly.
On the other hand, some kids need a break and parents may need time with their kids to shop and buy things for camp, etc.
As a side point, does anyone understand the reason why schools can’t inform parents when school will be over from the beginning of the year? There is no reason for a mystery. It’s extremely odd and highly unprofessional.
For those complaining “Parents have work and are unable to take off to watch their children.” many yeshivos had there last day noted on the the school schedule sent back in September…..you had a full 10 months to figure something out (ok this doesn’t help the yeshiva that closed on 06/14/2019 without prior notice).
school has nothing to do with camp ask camp why there not starting jun 26 like very year or next year davin for snow
one of the reasons some schools are ending earlier is because all schools started the year early. For some reason most people forget that fact. I agree that the schools ended early but teacher’s should be given credit for having started early. I hope that the yeshivos that are going longer are paying their staff some extra to compensate
Perhaps the yeshiva that closed unexpectedly on Friday wouldn’t have had to close had the boys not been breaking the school property.
The Cheder and Darchai both end next week too.
lowerourtuition11210; since when does prior notice give you extra vacation days or someone else available to watch your kids?
Sorry but closing yeshiva literally 2 school days after the girls school doesnt give the right to have their arms up in the air about how anyone could end so early…kind of pretentious letter if you ask me….
In Lakewood all the yeshivos have another full month of yeshiva through July.
In Chicago, Cheder Lubavitch (boys) started to continue learning for an additional 4 weeks. Now, other schools are following suit.
Hopefully, we can cut out the meshugas of the long summers of practically no learning.
This. Year was shnas iber and boys can’t hold out another week.
Let them loose a little before they start summer camp learning davening swimming activities and dinen Hashem yisburech
a few points ; i have shaychus to both the yeshiva & camp industry
1. why does bp & willy have only 4 days betwen school & camp – is because they are essentially diff arms of the same company . camp acts as an extension of yeshiva many of the same rebbes , staff, office.. bus drivers .thats is how IT IS AFFORDABLE
2.rebbes , teachers & kids need a break no one can be on a treadmill year round.. also if the teachers have their own kids finishing school whos watching them
3. THE DIFF. is that today more than ever leaving kids hefker for a week means youtube……shopping manhatten .. not basketball in the park & italian ices
4. lastly many school buildings serve as dc facilities and each needs a few days to pack up & open up
THE MORE TUITION YOU PAY THE MORE DAYS THEY ARE CLOSED OR END EARLY compare the calenders 5 towns , brooklyn…lakewood
Gamanit: “since when does prior notice give you extra vacation days or someone else available to watch your kids?” I didn’t say it did but dont make it out that you as a parent didn’t know you would have to figure out who was going to watch your children from the end of school to the start of camp. Trust me I understand the need for parents who have to work, I am also in that boat.Years ago when I didn’t have the flexibility I have now I had to make decisions when to take off (and yes I had to use vacation days for yom tov but I also knew I had to save days for when my children were off from school.
Personally I feel the children are over-programmed without enough free time in nice weather. They need a break from their classmates, teachers, rebbeim, etc.
We didn’t send our children to camp, and all our grandchildren live with us for the summer. B”H we have adequate space and all sports facilities. I learn with my grandsons in the morning. Mrs CTL teaches the girls to cook family favorites. We plan appropriate outings. Lots of afternoons they get on the bikes, hit the local trails and enjoy being children.
Most important they bond as one family, no matter what community they live in during the school year.
Our adult children take vacation time on a staggered schedule so that we always have extra adult eyes and hands watching the pool, helping the youngest ones and making sure Bubbe and Zaideh aren’t overworked.
Many of our grandchildren’s class mates are envious of this family time, not wanting the regimen of school life moved to the country.
meir G
1. why are teachers not expected to be on treadmills all year but regular employees are?
2. Why are teachers excused early because their kids are off when a regular employee isn’t?
I don’t doubt the dedication of teachers, but that doesn’t answer the question. Why the double standard?
What’s an outrage? What’s a chutzpah? The school stated that it was not in their control and they apologized. Stuff happens.
And regarding ending 10 before camp – well rebbeim are people too. They need a break before jumping into 2 months of camp. Beside they have families to tend to themselves preparing them for camp and the time to take care of house things. Family time. Time with spouse.
Just because you work and can’t be home doesn’t mean that the rebbeim need to be robbed of a week respite after a long year to accommodate your life
Can anyone explain the justification for over 2 months school holidays in the US when in Europe they do with less than 1?
Why does YTV or any other yeshiva think it is proper to knock other schoosl in a letter to its parent body? Is there now way for YTV to explain its decision and “toot its own horn” without putting down other Yeshivos?
While Yeshivos in Flatbush are fighting for students as the population with school age children is declining, shouldn’t the Yeshivos be teaching the lesson that a person should rise up without putting another down in the process.?
What about the editors of YWN?? Why was it necessary to publish this letter from “a proud parent”? The community could do very well without another thing to “argue” about. Is the parent who submitted this letter really proud of the way YTV decided to knock other schools in the process of defending its decision to its parent body?
I am a proud parent at Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway. They are ending next week Tuesday (June 25). It’s a no-brainer. Rabbi Bender is a true leader in chinuch and that’s why his yeshiva also STARTED earlier than others this year, back in Elul: August 28th! It can’t hurt that he treats my son’s rabbeim and teachers as the heroes and professionals they are. So they are eager to teach and inspire, even if it means a few days extra than other schools.
In this context of this letter, Torah Vodaas was not knocking other per se.
They were leading a very valuable fight against too much summer vacation.
You saw it here first. The other Yeshivas which are fighting for students as the population with school age children is declining are going to take notice and follow suit next year.
Thank you Torah Vodaas!
in israel, the boys elementary schools have off like the yeshivahs from zayin av to Rosh Chodesh Elul! all grades. they have 3 week summer vacation. boys don’t need longer vacation. my boys love school and can’t for vacation to be over.
A careful read of the YTV letter clearly indicates a putting down of the decision of other yeshivos (i.e., “Much to our Chagrin”). These other mosdos are also lead by terrific Roshei Yeshiva who seek out Daas Torah when dealing with issues relating to Chinuch Habanim. If the author of the YTV letter had an issue with what other Yeshivos were doing regarding the end of the school year, he could have simply called his colleagues at these other Yeshivos and discussed it with them like adults instead of “calling them out b’Rabbim” in a letter to parents. That is not Chinuch!
Sorry, I must say that i do not agree with you respectfully. As a rebbe myself, I see it firsthand that at this point of the year, kids are already burned out and need a respite as well. The fact that yeshivas added days after it was scheduled to end either yesterday (Thursday, June 20th) or today (Friday, June 21st) is real chutzpah and should be called out for it. Rebbeim work in camps and day camps and need time to get ready. Plus everyone forgot that yeshiva had begun this year on August 29th and there wasn’t a single snow day. This end of school is also good for the kids and rebbeim and teachers alike. Spend some time with your family and go on a little vacation. I am sure everyone can make time for it. Thank you.